A.R.E. Blog

Synchronicity in Motion
By Barbara A. Derrick, PhD

Before our study group, Summerville, South Carolina #2, made a trip to A.R.E headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va., in April, 2009, Jerry Ingle, set into motion an ideal that generated a monumental synchronicity. For years, Jerry, a long-time member of our group, had been interested in Nikola Tesla. He saw many parallels between his talents and those of Edgar Cayce and hoped to somehow connect them. As a psychic, Edgar Cayce had been consulted by engineers about their inventions. Cayce was willing to help as long as it would ultimately be of service to humanity. While there are suggestions that both Thomas Edison and his former associate, Nikola Tesla, consulted Cayce separately; there is no documentation in the A.R.E. archives.

Nikola Tesla was an electrical engineer who invented the alternating current Niagara power system that made Edison's direct current obsolete. He sold Westinghouse 40 patents that broke the General Electric monopoly. In 1893 he demonstrated the use of wireless radio control with a torpedo-like boat. He invented wireless transmission of electricity, an electric car that ran by tapping into the electricity of the Earth, the microwave, and the TV remote control, just to name a few. A court recently ruled that while Marconi had been given credit for the invention of the radio and made a fortune on it, Tesla was the true inventor.

Tesla was concerned with harnessing nature to meet the needs of humankind and foresaw the end of World War I as a synthesis of history, philosophy, and science,. He had the amazing ability to construct a machine in his mind and then, by operating the device in his mind, make improvements to the design. He could develop and perfect his inventions by drawing only upon the creative forces, without actually touching anything material. Just as the Cayce readings suggest, "Mind is the builder, physical is the result."

Nikola Tesla sitting in his laboratory in Colorado Springs in December 1899. Wikimedia Commons

Another inventor that Edgar Cayce met was a man named Marion L. Stansell. During World War I, while stationed in France, Stansell had a near death experience with a vision. During the experience, a "spirit guide" escorted him to another dimension where he was given a formula for a mechanical device. He was told that this device would save the planet from environmental destruction in the next millennium.

On February 1, 1928, Edgar Cayce gave a reading which confirmed that Stansell was able to see the blueprints for a revolutionary type of motor in his dreams and visions. According to the readings, the motor was designed in the spirit realm by De Witt Clinton, deceased governor of New York, who in his last incarnation was the force behind the development of the Erie Canal.

Stansell needed the assistance of Edgar Cayce to relay precise technical information from Clinton in the spirit realm to Stansell and a team of like-minded entrepreneurs in the material world. The Stansell motor readings were conducted over a two-year period. One could speculate that Mr. Cayce did the same for Nikola Tesla, and that these readings were a continuation of that work, but if so, there is no record of it.

Jerry believed that there was a deep connection between the work of Cayce and Tesla and their interest in the connection between electricity and psychic phenomena. At A.R.E., Jerry found his way to the vault, where the Cayce records are kept, hoping to discover a way to get these plans into the hands of present-day inventors.

There, he and an A.R.E. volunteer named Harry talked excitedly for some time about Tesla. Suddenly, a man came to the door of the vault. "Does anybody know if there was ever a connection between Edgar Cayce and Nikola Tesla?"

"Here is the guy who can tell you," said Harry as he pointed toward Jerry. Jerry turned to face Nikola Lonchar — the President of Nikola Tesla's Inventors Club, a man who was dedicated to locating and preserving Tesla's work. The organization was made up of scientists who wanted to be sure Tesla's work was not lost! This was the first visit to A.R.E. by anyone from the Tesla organization.

Jerry was able to supply the visitor with the information he needed. The two sat in the lobby of the A.R.E. Visitor Center, oblivious to their surroundings, talking about an interest that held them both captive. Jerry was invited to speak at the next Nikola Tesla Inventors conference.

Nikola Lonchar was at A.R.E. for only one day. During this small window of time, he and Jerry had converged at the same place, at the same time, both equipped with a desire to be of service to Cayce, to Tesla, and to humanity. That's synchronicity in motion.

Barbara Derrick, PhD, a researcher, lecturer and writer on Edgar Cayce, is a counselor, family therapist, and mental health specialist who has successfully used a protocol suggested by Edgar Cayce to enhance and improve the lives of Alzheimer's patients. She has presented at the Edgar Cayce Health Symposium at Virginia Beach and her articles have appeared in Venture Inward.

To learn more about the Nikola Tesla's Inventors Club visit their website at TeslaScienceFoundation.org.

The True Spirit of Thanksgiving

In 1938, Edgar Cayce was asked to give information that would help to stimulate in individuals hearts
and minds a great appreciation of the true Spirit of Thanksgiving. In recognition of our sincere thanks for
each and every one of you, we offer this excerpt from Cayce's Thanksgiving message:

… Thanksgiving is thy opportunity to show thy appreciation to thy friend, thy home,
thy mother, thy children – yea, most of all to thy God!

... In this land ye may give praise for freedom of speech, for the opportunities to
raise thy voice in whatever way and manner ye choose … Then, as ye give thanks, as
ye give praise to thy friends for kindnesses, for gentlenesses, for those things that
make thy experience more bearable in a cruel world … Let thy heart then be glad.

Keep then that Day in praise, in thanksgiving, in such ways, such a manner that ye
show to thy conscience that what ye worship as thy God is aware of thy appreciation
of life! (Edgar Cayce reading 3976-21)

The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth
by Jennie A. Brownscombe. (1914)
Wikipedia

In Cayce's readings, one may find many keys to open the gates to heaven. But there are two that we may focus on here. The first is a pure heart; the second is a rejuvenated mind. Actually, he described this second key as experiencing a "regeneration in the mount," identifying the mount with the crown chakra and the higher mind.

A pure heart and a rejuvenated mind will open the way to ultimate happiness and enlightenment. These may seem like easy keys to find and possess, but in practice they are quite difficult. Fortunately, he also gives us two tips: (1) use your will to change feelings and thoughts, and (2) enjoy a magical transformation that occurs naturally when you abide in the heart and mind of the Creator.

A pure heart is developed by observing our motivations and desires. Step back from the automatic feelings and ask, "Why do I feel the way I do?" "What are my truest desires?" As Jesus said, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also." Your heart is the key to your treasure, and a pure heart opens the treasure chest of heaven. Changing our heart is done by adjusting our feelings, emotions, and desires. It requires that we engage our wills. The will reins in these automatic feelings and redirects them according to a new ideal. That new ideal is expressed in the spiritual emotions of love, forgiveness, patience, kindness, and understanding. It is expressed in "love one another," "forgive seventy times seven," and the like.

Cayce's readings are clear about purity. It is a selfless, others-oriented, and God-centered heart, a heart that is without egocentric motivations and desires, that considers God's will and others' needs. This heart is a home for the Creator. Cayce often recommended the prayer, "Not my will, O Lord, but Thy will be done in and through me this day." He often encouraged us not to simply BE good, but to be good FOR something. That something is the key to determining how pure our heart is. Are we good to be seen as such by others? Are we good because we are better than others? Are we good because we will be rewarded? Or are we good because the spirit of goodness is God in action, and, as such, makes the world a better place for us having been in it? This last reason is being good "for something," and fits the selfless ideal.

Consider Cayce's guidance not to meditate so that "you feel better" but that "the better you comes through." Do you see the subtle difference? One is self-focused and self-gratifying. The other seeks the better you, and that makes life better for all those around you.

Engaging our will is the way to find and maintain this key. But there is another way that imbues us with a power we could not otherwise receive. It is deep prayer and meditation, which lifts our heart into God's heart; and there abiding, allows our heart to adjust to God's. There is no other way to enjoy the benefit of this than to lift oneself into the heart of God.

Active outer change – by willfully controlling our heart, combined with receptive inner attunement to God's heart – makes for a pure heart and opens one of the gates to heaven.

Let's now consider the rejuvenated mind. Like the pure heart, the rejuvenated mind is also achieved in two ways.

The first way is by stepping back and observing our thoughts. If a negative thought arises, still it. Replace it with a positive one. If doubts arise, push them away while trusting in God. The only way to make such adjustments is by using our God-given will to take hold of our thoughts and change them, filling our minds with faith, hope, and trust in God. Using affirmations and little verses that keep the mind on the right track throughout the day is a helpful Cayce tip.

The second way to rejuvenate the mind is by lifting our mind up into the higher realms of God-consciousness, into God's Mind. Abiding in this Universal Consciousness revitalizes and illuminates our mind. Cayce's readings teach us to raise the life force of the body, the kundalini, up from the lower chakras to the higher chakras, while holding a God-centered ideal. An ideal can be compared to a pole star that guides your energies as you move them. It can be compared to having a pattern before you as you make a dress or a blueprint as you build a house. The kundalini can be raised for weal or woe, good or evil, clarity or confusion. Each chakra has its higher and its lower vibration as the life force passes through it. When the life force is moved by a higher ideal, one experiences the higher vibrations. When the life force reaches the higher chakras under the impetus of a higher ideal, it opens the gate to heaven. The body is purposefully wired this way. The ancient symbol of the winged serpent reflects the lifting of the life force (serpent) with the higher ideal and the higher mind (wings).

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year are good times for a fresh start at creating a pure heart and rejuvenated mind. And regular daily practice keeps these keys in your possession.

John Van Auken is an international speaker and author on a variety of topics from mystical spirituality and ancient civilizations to modern life. Popular with A.R.E. audiences throughout the country, he has written many books, including From Karma to Grace: The Power of the Fruits of the Spirit;Edgar Cayce's Tales of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Egyptian Mysticism.John's extensive knowledge of the Edgar Cayce readings, the Bible ancient Egypt, and other world religions is combined with years of practical application of these truths in his own life. His exciting presentations are packed with useful information combined with insightful and revealing stories. His clear step-by-step techniques give practical tools for ongoing development, self-training, and spiritual enlightenment. He travels extensively, conducting seminars and retreats throughout the U.S. and abroad including A.R.E.'s annual Tour of Egypt.

You Are a CreatorBy Judy Lickert

Now is the time to exercise your power as a creator. Consciously. We constantly create. The world around us is the result of our thoughts. This is found in numerous Cayce readings—thoughts are things, mind is the builder, etc. Unfortunately, we have not accepted the deep nature of this truth nor have we accepted the responsibility of this aspect of our being. We have limited our vision to material creation. Now is the time to go up to the causal level.

What do you see in the world today? War, poverty, fear, political division, extinction of animals, natural disasters. This can be overwhelming to the material mind, but not to the spiritual. Each one of us, using our spiritual power given to us by The Creator, can make a great change in the collective consciousness that creates the material world. Yes, even in mitigating natural disasters, for Mother Earth responds to attitudes held in the mass consciousness, and for a long time now she has been under attack. She is beginning to defend herself.

Cayce warned in his readings on Atlantis that if our attitudes were not spiritualized, our technological society would find the same ending as Atlantis, i.e., destruction—a destruction that we will have created. His readings on earth changes told us what may occur if we did not change the vibrations we were building in the ethers. Sadly, we are seeing many of these, but the severity of the disasters may have been somewhat mitigated by the work individuals and small groups have been doing to raise consciousness.

Today we hear the cries for help from many directions. After Hurricane Sandy's visit to the American East Coast it is obvious many thousands of people need our help. There are children starving throughout the world, much of the world lacks clean water, animals are being hunted to extinction or their habitats are being destroyed; this list could go on and on, but you have the power to change it.

Little me? Yes! First of all, you are not little. We were created in the image of The Creator. That is NOT little. Second, instead of working at the material level, rise to the causal level where your work will more quickly and effectively bring about change. Don't ignore the cries of the material level, but focus on the causal, since fewer will be able to recognize the importance of that type of work.

What do you do? Live what you believe. All day, every day, bring your every thought and action into accord with the highest consciousness you know. For example, while driving, let go of individual desire; drive with your actions and responses being determined by the greatest good for all. Break that initial annoyance with the vision of safe journeying for all. This isn't being a goody two-shoes! This is how you create peace and brotherhood! You send out a higher vibration. This is where you LIVE "thoughts are things," not just mouth it. If you don't believe this could make a difference, try feeling that the guy who is tailgating you is a spiritual brother and send a heartfelt prayer for his safety and yours. Show respect that he might have an acceptable reason for his actions and ask that he respect your reason for your actions. Your response must be honest. Then watch what happens.

In all aspects of your life consciously choose to align with the higher vibration. Observe your thoughts, and feed them with only that which leads you to positive growth. Skip forwarding that email that is based on belittlement, fear, or outrage. Avoid any media that feeds the fear within you. Take responsibility for creating the life around you. If you created it, you can change it. You are that powerful.

You are also so very, very important at this time, because you have opened yourself to these truths and are allowing them to blossom in your life. Every consciousness that is opening to a higher vibration is helping to lift others with it.

The greatest need in this world at this moment is the lifting up of the mass consciousness; through this, permanent solutions to the distressing situations in our world will be found. Nurture your own expanding consciousness, encourage others by your words, suggestions of a book, movie, or program.

CREATE Ice Sculpture from Launch party

But each contact needs a support to keep it going. Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. has done that for me and many, many others. That is why I have supported their newly launched CREATE campaign, which seeks to ensure a source is readily available to the many who are ready to change their consciousness now and in the future. I do not ignore the other cries for help, but I want the greater portion of my giving to support the causal level for positive change in the world. I want to consciously be a Creator.

Judy Lickert has been a member of A.R.E. since 1973, a student of the Cayce readings since 1966, and a Study Group member for more than 30 years. Her support of A.R.E. has included membership in our Golden Circle donor ($1,000+) recognition club as well as Life Membership. She has been married to her spiritual partner for 43 years, and has two daughters and two granddaughters. She is active in her community, especially the library and school district. She is an animal lover, organic gardener, and ballroom dancer.

Reuniting Astrology and Astronomy
Part 2: Astrological Influences By James Mullaney, FRAS

Let's next see what the readings actually do have to say about astrological influences, while
reinforcing all of the foregoing:

(Q) Would it be well for me to make a study of astrology?

(A) Well for everyone to make a study of astrology for, as indicated, while many individuals have set about to prove the astrological aspects and astrological survey enable one to determine future as well as the past conditions, these are well to the point where the individual understands that these act upon individuals because of their sojourn or correlation of their associations with the environs through which these are shown—see? Rather than the star directing the life, the life of the individual directs the courses of the stars, see?.... It may be said that the line of thought in the present is towards a change in the Aries age from the Pisces, or from the Aquarius, or to those various activities, see? (Edgar Cayce Reading 311-10)

(Q) Every astrologer erecting a chart for …

(A) (Interrupting) We have little or nothing to contribute to the interest self evinces in astrology. Not that there are not definite helps to be attained from astrology, but those who live by same the more oft are controlled rather than controlling their own lives and their destinies. Astrology is a fact, in most instances. But astrological aspects are but signs, symbols. NO INFLUENCE is of greater value or of greater help than the WILL of an individual. Use such directions as steppingstones. Do not let them become stumblingstones in thy experience. (Edgar Cayce Reading 815-6)

As to astrological sojourns themselves, the following readings provide insight to what the actual astrological influences are:

In giving that which would be helpful from the interpretations of the records here, it would be well for the entity to bear in mind that the sojourns in the environs about the earth have as much to do with the place and time of birth as the position of a planet, star or element has upon the entity in the earth's plane—or more. Sojourns in environments are those innate activities, while sojourns in the earth are those of the emotional natures; yet each one is under the influence more of the will—or what an entity does about an urge— than merely the position of a sojourn of the entity. Although there are influences from the astrological angle, they are as signs, omens and impulses; not as destinies, for the destiny of each soul is in what the entity does about the application of creative influences and forces in its own experience in any environ. (Edgar Cayce Reading 820-1)

That those influences from astrological aspects are arising as urges is true. Not because of the position of a star or planet, or any sign of the zodiac, but rather because of what one has done about what each of those planets or environs represents in the existence, in the consciousness of the individual entity, as related TO the whole of the Creative Force in the entity's experience. (Edgar Cayce Reading 1562-1)

Hence there ARE urges, or influences,—not as astrological aspects but from sojourns through which the entity has passed—or experiences during the interims between earthly manifestations. These become manifested in the dreams, the hopes; while the earthly sojourns find expression in the emotions of the body; and not because a star, a constellation, or even any phase of the zodiac sign, was in such and such a position at the time of birth. (Edgar Cayce Reading 2549-1)

In interpreting the urges latent and manifested as we find them here—there are urges arising from astrological aspects—or the sojourns during the interims between earthly incarnations. These are not always easy to interpret into material words, yet these may be indicated for this particular entity. The astrological urges are not existent merely because of the position of the planets, or any phase of so called astrology, but because of a consciousness in an environ interpreted in the name of planets,—that are as companions with the earth in its journey through this particular phase of the universe, or universal consciousness. Here, for this entity, we find Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus as the names, or environs, or consciousnesses, in which activities are indicated. (Edgar Cayce Reading 2437-1)

And now here's a key point: dealing solely with the physical characteristics of these other worlds as astronomy does is looking at only one aspect of their significance in the grand cosmic scheme of things. It's also essential to look at them through the spiritual eyes of the soul to grasp their full wonder and importance. Again—the need for astrology and astronomy to work together!

A replica of Isaac Newton's second reflecting telescope of 1672 Wikipedia

Let me conclude by stating that as an astronomer I still do have doubts about many of the tenets of astrology as it's practiced today. However, I'm open-minded enough to recognize that there are some important truths to be found within astrology—as clearly demonstrated by both the Cayce readings themselves, and the no-nonsense approach to the subject by practitioners like Steven Forrest mentioned in Part I of this blog article. My personal suspicion is that maybe planets, stars, constellations, and other celestial objects act as "psychic anchors" in much the same way as do tarot cards, crystal balls, and palms for gifted psychic readers in general. And perhaps support for this view by Cayce can be found in the following reading:

The entity then was a sand reader, or one who interpreted the sands in the capacity of what might be called a soothsayer, or a crystal gazer, or a star addict. (Edgar Cayce Reading 3356-1)

James Mullaney is author of nine books including Edgar Cayce and the Cosmos and the forthcoming Celebrating the Universe! (Hay House). A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of London, he (with telescope!) appears at many A.R.E. conferences, including Our Ever-Changing Planet in March of 2013.

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